The Guardian described the bill as a ‘landmark piece of legislation’ intended to bring UK fertility law in line with rapidly advancing scientific practices.

The inclusion of hybrid embryo research provisions led to intense moral debates in Parliament, with one faction praising the potential for life-saving therapies and another warning against ‘unforeseen consequences.’”[5] Under the act, new rules regarding the designation of a second parent in cases of IVF treatment came into force on 6 April 2009.

Prior to these changes, UK law automatically recognized the husband in a married couple undergoing IVF as the child’s second legal parent.

The 2008 Act extended this right to lesbian couples and single women, allowing them to nominate a second parent who was not necessarily a spouse or civil partner.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) advised prospective parents to consider delaying IVF treatment until the new regulations took effect, if they wished to take advantage of the updated second-parent provisions.